The present invention relates to the delivery of medical fluids, and in particular to an enteral feeding pump motor unit for precisely controlling the amount of such fluids that are received by a patient.
The use of enteral feeding pumps, in conjunction with a disposable delivery set, for the administering of medical fluids is well known in the medical arts. The delivery set will typically include two long sections of PVC tubing, connected to a centralized, shorter section of silicone tubing. The silicone section of the delivery set is mounted in the motor unit of an enteral feeding pump so that the silicone tube securely contacts a plurality of rollers mounted on a platen. The platen is in turn connected to a motor which selectively rotates the platen. As the platen rotates, the rollers apply pressure to the silicone section of the delivery set and force a predetermined amount of medicinal or nutrient solution through the delivery set with each rotation of the platen.
In order to control the rates at which the enteral feeding solution is delivered to the patient, numerous different approaches have been used to control the rate at which the solution passes through the pump and the delivery set. For example, it is known to control the rate at which the pump operates and therefore the amount of solution delivered to a patient. This has been accomplished by the use of stepper motors and the use of variable tension on the silicone tube in conjunction with a constant speed motor.
To further ensure that a precise volume of enteral fluid is supplied to the patient, the rotation of the platen is compared to a desired rotation to ensure that the appropriate amount of fluid is being delivered. While numerous different methods have been advanced for achieving precise control of the platen's rotation, and thus the rate of delivery to the patient, there is still substantial room for improvement in the control of platens, and thus precision in controlling the rate at which nutrient and medicinal fluids are delivered to a patient.